Monday, April 06, 2009

"The subtle changes we made in our system play really paid off. I think the changes Mac has made in our system play, are going to allow us to be more aggressive and take the play to the opposition."

I'd tell some crazy story about the time I was raped in prison (not true) or by a bulldog (true) or about how my kids are mental (true) or how I am mental (true) or about how we'd go up to camp in January and my Dad and his best friend, a Finnlander (not Ipaaaaaa, another Finnlander), would have a sauna and some beers and then cut a hole in the ice and go for a swim (true) or about the fling I had with a bicurious girl who shaved her head but had hairier legs then I (true) or about how I am a certified mouth breather because when I was in university my roommate's feet smelled so bad that I taught myself to breath through my mouth rather then my nose. He was a terrific guy, the perfect roommate, so I did what I had to do.

Problem is all of these years later I can barely smell a damn thing. I'm a sense short basically. Definitely the most overrated sense if you ask me. The dog smells like ass at the best of times apparently and I have no idea. Allegedly when you walk into our house its like burying your face in a mutt sandwich.

No idea.

And so here I sit, wife coming home in two days, we've survived so far although the journey is far from done. Work is crazy, life is crazy and so I get through it and after the kids are in bed ... Ipaaaaa.

That and porn are getting me through this.

So yeah I could tell some beauty story which would make you shake your head (like the guy at HF Boards who commented that he didn't mind my shit but when I started talking about jerking off it made him a little uneasy) but I really don't think it could top Moreau's comment in terms of getting a rise out of you.

Or maybe its just me but when there are three games left in the season and the Oilers dead as ducks, Moreau comes out with this beauty comment and Gagner also refers to it, how a young team full of guys who can skate and have skill, with five games left in the season, suddenly change to a system that might flatter a team of kids who can skate, a system that sounds something like the Oilers before the lockout, a system based on skating and pressing and pushing the opposition rather than sitting on a one goal lead or sending out Jason Strudwick and Steve Staios in overtime to try and play for a FUCKING SHOOTOUT! then it kind of gets my goat. A little.

Even at the most normal of times the Oilers are not much more then a pleasant distraction (so he tells himself and the smirking readers) for me but these days they are a long way down the list of shit that needs paying attention to. And that's likely a good thing for my stress level because when one sees this team playing a game that, you know, fits them - the skating, the enthusiasm, the stretch passes - then one wonders what the hell MacT was doing in the first 77 games of the year other then trying to fit a bunch of square pegs into round holes.

BDHS: Well put. I have to admit since I read those quotes I have been wondering THE SAME FUCKING THING!!!!1!1 myself. In fact I've been wondering it since long before the appearance of said quotes. A square peg in a black hole doesn't work for this club.

Absolutely spot-on. It wasn't hard to see that the system wasn't working, but the fact that he had a skating-passing-pressing style up his sleeve as the backup system is like a slap in the face. It's time.

LOL F****************************ck. This team makes absolutely no sense, no sense at all. What a joke... I have no idea how they expect to be able to land any big money free agents with the sh*t show in full effect.

Just a couple of players giving some support to their coach, who has had a rough week in the media. Cripes, a dozen school kids apparently even tried to organize a 'fire MacTavish' protest on the street.

During and after the game, but before these comments, how many fans on game day threads and talk radio were commenting on this "strategic realignment"?

Did you, Pat? I didn't.

I had a rare read of the comments on Lowetide yesterday and it's odd, strange that they don't like Schremp though, that seems contrary. And where has slipper gone? He should have been busting virtual heads right through that comments section, all in the name of the mythical Righteous Man.

I think the Oilers would be a playoff team in the Eastern conference, it's not a complete disaster. But to me their troubles boil down to two points:

1. The players aren't good enough.2. Too many of them think that they are more talented than they are.

To my mind anyways, the first one is the biggest problem by far, but the second one is something that you can do something about.

The game they are playing was what worked in the playoff run. It ain't an easy game to play. I blame the coach and players for taking the easy way all the time. I think of this team high schoolers with no goals... they will do the minimum to get the diploma. I will take Drama 10 in grade 12 for credits(mine was Typing 10) But now they want to get into a cool school it is full on panic mode... can they hold it together for 5 days. Lets see how the Red Bull powered dash for playoffs goes for underacheivers.The crash will be epic though.The message has been Darryl Katz Rehab Centre opening soon specializing alcohol / drug / performance issues.

There has been something rotten this year and you're right, this team is not as good as many thought, including themselves.

But they should have been a playoff team. That stretch a couple of weeks ago where they lost multiple OT games in a row really stuck in my craw. The worst example was with 40 seconds left in a game (maybe the BJs?) and the opponent iced it. So you have a tired opponent and its a tie and MacT sends out Brodziak Moreau and Pisani. And then in OT he sends out the same type of configuration and Strudwick repeatedly.

I liek Strudwick but if he's not playing the other team's quality in reg why do you send him out in OT?

Poor.

Hell MacT even said a couple of times how they wanted to try and get to the shootout.

I think you're telling your team something when you play it like that.

And its not a positive thing.

As always it would be interesting to hear what MacT would have to say about why he did what he did this year. I think he is a good coach but I think he made some odd decisions right through the year which cost them the opportunity to get smoked by Detroit in the first round. ;)

Curtains for another year. The team worked it to perfection ensuring that they still had the slimmest of chances to get another buy out me. Don't have to watch anymore hockey this year. Will even cancel the standing bet I have on the BOA as I am done. Don't care unless there are some real changes a foot I think I may become a NBA fan or find a new team to cheer for. Maybe it is time to return Boston... I have not lived in Edmonton for over 20 years and the team has done little to deserve the attention reaped upon them. A Captain Glass said "we sell out anyways does not matter if we play like shit"You know I always thought when the playing field became level that they would have a chance. But the players believe they are owed a living, they think they are above reproach. The truth is maybe they are but when the fans see the team mailing it in it does not inspire confidence.Don't have anyone that I want to win the cup. Go Hawks not that I will be watching

MacT wants out. He's smart enough to know better. He is capable of doing better. Has done more with less. On one level or another, this man has been trying to lose his job all year. And with the terrible management decisions being made, I would want out too.